Sports events bring thousands, and coverage reaches millions

Monday

Sep 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By MARK HUEY

In 2017, a dream that many have shared and labored hard for will come true. Sarasota County will host the World Rowing Championships at Nathan Benderson Park, home to our world class rowing and aquatic sports center. The economic-impact numbers from that event and others like it will reverberate as loudly as the fans will cheer.

When it comes to the numbers, this event is a stellar example of how effective economic development comes from multiple drivers. The tourism part of the equation -- especially "sports tourism" -- will be the influx of tens of thousands of new visitors flocking to our community due to the rowing world's biggest event next to the Olympics occurring here. Those visitors will find arts and entertainment, recreation, dining, shopping and so much more to enjoy, in addition to the stellar rowing competition and its venue.

That's a substantial layer of revenue and economic stimulus for our community.

As experience has shown, some of those tourists will inevitably evolve to become return visitors, and some of those will become homeowners, perhaps bringing elements of their professional and business lives here to take root as well, as they discover this paradise we call home.

Adding to that tourism impact, media coverage and entertainment productions -- show business -- further expands the effect, as it spreads the word and shows the exciting visuals. Television programming coverage from around the globe will focus on Sarasota County, news and documentaries, radio broadcasts, live entertainment, webcasts, social networks, the blogosphere and, yes, even moviemaking, will influence audiences. As the volume of this takes place because of the international rowing championships, it will reach tens of millions of people around the world. Show business in its myriad forms will indeed shine spotlights on this event, at this place and time, and will all redound to our community's benefit.

Business vitality rises, increasing across a broad spectrum of our existing community as a pivotal part of the equation, too. Companies, workers, services and resources already in place expand to meet the needs. That strengthens housing, retail, construction, food service and countless other segments of our permanent community.

Tourism, show business and business vitality coalesce.

It's educational to look back on the history of how tourism, entertainment, and business have each fed into the other to multiply and expand the economic growth of Sarasota County. Indeed, that amalgamation is a key foundation of our community.

Less than a century ago, the Ringling brothers became prime examples of transformative business development, tourism and show business influences in our community through worldwide circus entertainment making its home here. That simple act resulted in real estate development, divergent business interests and investments and people from around the world coming to our then-little-known slice of Florida. It was an engine for our productive foundation.

In present day media and entertainment, we have the greatest high-wire walker on earth in Nik Wallenda, foodies around the globe see our restaurants in travel shows and our chefs on competition television, sports fans watch ESPN and other networks cover our polo, beach volleyball, golf and superboat grand prix -- and the world will soon be watching our world-class rowing events.

We see this pattern of triangulation repeating itself today, painting a bright future for Sarasota County. Business, tourism and media exposure grow because of the arts and culture here, because of the expansion of sports venues, because of medical and health care excellence, and now also because of burgeoning entrepreneurial technology companies.

People come, see, experience and like. Some return and stay, investing their resources and lives. And word spreads about this fantastic community on the Gulf of Mexico.

All of these factors and influences work together to spur high-quality economic development, good paying jobs, more support for the arts and institutions we value, and futures for our children in the community. This combination is an integral part of the quality of life we prize so highly.

Contact Mark Huey, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County, at mhuey@ edcsarasotacounty.com. EDC is the public/private partnership leading economic diversification efforts by working with community and regional partners.